59 The Impact of SATLE-Funded ESD Projects in TUS

Dr Nuala Harding outlined how Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement (SATLE) funding has enabled TUS to significantly advance its ESD ambitions. Multi-annual funding has allowed the university to build sustained institutional capacity by establishing core roles, including an ESD Champion and Educational Developer, Ireland’s first dedicated OER Librarian, and an Instructional Designer supporting the development of open-access learning resources.

Central to this work is the Level 9 Special Purpose Award, Embedding ESD in the Curriculum, which forms part of the flexible MA in Academic Practice. Led by Dr Noëlle O’Connor, the programme adopts authentic assessment and competency-based learning, drawing international participation and now serving as an elective for PhD researchers. Alongside this, SATLE has supported a broad suite of learning enhancement projects and communities of practice aligned with four interconnected SDGs: Quality Education, Responsible Consumption and Production, Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure, and Reduced Inequalities.

Dr Harding showcased examples ranging from tower gardens and sustainable food initiatives to engineering reuse projects and inclusive education collaborations. All outputs, including academic integrity courses and previous compendia, are shared openly through TUS’s OER platforms and the National Forum resource hub. She emphasised that the cumulative impact extends from curriculum development to staff capability building and international partnerships, demonstrating how SATLE funding has transformed TUS’s ability to embed sustainability across programmes and practices.

About the author

name: Dr Nuala Harding

institution: Technological University of the Shannon

Dr Nuala Harding is the Head of the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Development (CPID) at the Technological University of the Shannon.